A Life and Style Blog

Budget Friendly

I used to always make it a tradition of going to the store for Black Friday. But when the stores began opening sooner and sooner I started to change my traditions. I no longer hit up the stores but check out online. And not just big retailers, small shops that I have fallen in love with too. So here are my Black Friday Sale picks that you don’t have to leave the comfort of your own home to shop from! So stay cuddle up in oversized sweaters, eat pie for breakfast and check out these sales!

It’s officially a week until Halloween. I love it. And one thing I have been doing to get in to the spirit and of course an annual tradition is watching scary movies. I have been trying to scope out all the newer and less known movies on Netflix, HULU and HBOGO and have found a few good ones but also there is nothing that compares to some classics. So here are my top 10 picks for horror films that you need to watch leading up to Halloween and on Halloween night. So grab your pumpkin flavored beer, PSL, pumpkin cookies, popcorn, Halloween candy bowl, fuzzy blankets and your girlfriends or #BAE and get to watching.

There have been numerous remakes of this and spin offs. But nothing can top the classic. Head rolls, green vomit and walking down the stairs backwards. All of these things terrified me as a child and will honestly still give me slight nightmares if watched again.

Would it really be the Halloween season unless you actually watched any of the Halloween movies. This will definitely make you jump and possibly yell at the t.v. Also it will make you try to figure out how in the world Michael always catches up to his victims without running. I wondering if I can drop the pumpkin cookie pounds with moving at a Michael speed?

This is one of those movies that will keep you on your toes and also wondering what the heck is actually happening and how do these things really happen. Hopefully it isn’t going to snow where you are soon or that you are traveling to a creepy hotel any time soon.

Clarice, Clarice, Clarice. Getting in to the mind of a serial killer, probably not the smartest thing to do or think about. But watching this and after you’re going to be thinking about it. You will also think differently about putting lotion on all your skin after watching this movie.

If you need a little gore in your night this is the must have horror movie for you to watch. You may gag, cover your eyes or squirm but one thing is for sure, you may be a little more aware of the things you take for granted every day.

What appears to be a makeshift home made film makes this even more terrifying because it seems a little more real. This movie will keep you on the edge of your seat and possibly saying “WTF” several times throughout the movie. But nonetheless you will be a little freaked out and may steer you from heading on a road trip with friends.

What better way to evoke fear and make you feel like someone is watching you better than having you feel like every emotion and sense of privacy has been violated. Make sure with this movie you are not distracted by your phone or computer and void out all noise and light before watching.

The new season means new collections everywhere and picking just the right pieces to add to your closet. What’s popular this Spring? Florals ( GROUNDBREAKING ), the color blush, cropped denim and pants, flowy dresses, cold shoulder, cut outs, yellow and sandals (just about any kind). And to help me with adding some new Spring pieces to my wardrobe I got to visit Versona to check out all these new trends.

Now when it comes to trends I am very fickle because I’m more a neutral kind of girl and I like to find pieces that will transition with my wardrobe through the seasons so I get my money’s worth out of the pieces. So I always keep that in mind, and if it is something extremely trendy like the seventies style flowy floral dresses I make sure it’s affordable so it’s not a huge loss. But with Versona this Spring, you can actually do both. If you are unaware of Versona, it is a boutique shopping experience but not with boutique price tags. The same idea of limited supply, unique pieces, quality pieces and even indie labels are available. This Spring, I actually loved a ton of stuff in the store. They had all the trends, tons of floral, blush colors and dresses that hit the mark. I did try on several items from their new Spring Look Book, but nothing really hit the mark. The long flowy floral dress did absolutely nothing for my skin color. But the skirt I am wearing is in the look book in the blush color, that color also did nothing for me, but I also noticed it in black. And of course I was sold on the black.

Black is my color. It’s so easy to style. So when I found the black version of the Spring Look Book find, I knew this may be the winner. This skirt is so versatile to style and that’s what drew me in. Y’all know I have this obsession with stripes and that’s how I immediately planned to wear it. But when I got home, I noticed the different colors in the skirt. I could wear it with dark neutrals or light neutrals, which is perfect for me, hence why I chose a khaki striped top and broke out the cognac colored heels. And ladies, break out those caged sandals from last year because they are just as popular this year. But the reason I also picked this up, it will work into the fall and winter months for me. This would be cute with a sweater, tights and booties. And that’s how I really put together an #ootd, right there in the fitting room of the store to debate whether it’s worth it or not. This skirt will be on repeat for me this Spring and Summer as I have several events to attend in the coming months and I can style it differently for each one, but also have a piece that corresponds with Spring trends.

If the trendy pieces are not really your style, Versona has a ton of versatile, neutral and quality basic pieces right now. I did pick up a few things that were not in the Spring Look Book that you will see next week on the blog. In the past they haven’t had a ton of these pieces, so it was refreshing to see that and it actually made the store feel a little more like a boutique.

So a huge thanks to Versona for letting me play dress up and pick the perfect pieces for a more Spring vibe in my closet!

Also messy curls are huge this year so head over to my Instagram Stories today to watch how I get my curls and all the products used!

Here’s this little number from the Versona fitting rooms that I love but didn’t make the cut because the arms were a little to snug for my liking.

So I wanted to round up all the direct links to everything I am giving away for my 5 Days of Holiday Giveaways I’m hosting on Instagram. You will have until 11:59 on 11/17 to enter to win and the winners will be announced late on Sunday evening. So head straight over to my Instagram and get yourself entered.

The first thing you are eligible to win is a blush and ultra matte lip from ColourPop. Find this picture on Instagram or go here!

The second item is a $20.00 gift card from Target. Find this picture on Instagram or go here!

The third item is a Rachel Weisberg choker in your choice of brown or black! Go to Instagram and find this picture or go here!

The fourth item you can win is this kimono scarf from Charmed. Go to Instagram and find this picture or go here!

The fifth and final thing you can win is two tickets to Painting With A Twist that can be used at any location but gifted by the Asheville location. All you have to do is find this picture on Instagram or go here!

All you have to do is find the pictures and follow the instructions which are easy peasy! Good luck y’all!

I have a lot of fashionistas to buy for for Christmas and we all know that can get expensive. And that’s why I love Charmed. I can get scarves, hats, jewelry and funky sunglasses for all those on my list without breaking the bank. Which is a plus plus for everyone. So when the opportunity came up to partner with Charmed I jumped at the chance to show some of my favorite locally made and fun, affordable finds!

This kimono is one of my favorites. There were several prints and hues, but we all know I’m attracted to darker colors. This is the perfect accessory to gift or give to yourself because it’s like a kimono, poncho and blanket scarf all in one. The possibilities with this is absolutely endless and will be that warm cuddly piece you or your favorite fashionista is constantly reaching for. What’s even better than the endless options of this piece? The price! This kimono is under $40.00! Also another bonus, you can currently win this on Instagram (info at the bottom of the post) thanks to the lovely ladies at Charmed!

Charmed isn’t just your local affordable jewelry store, even though they have a ton to choose from, but their clothing selection is growing and constantly growing. This blush sweater was probably the softest thing next to cashmere and the perfect color. And this bright green vest is the perfect pop of color for the holidays without going overboard. Also can we talk about this bag!

One of the hottest trends this year is the bralette. Can give sultry, funky or a athletic vibe and Charmed has a whole display to choose from. Every color of the rainbow and numerous different styles, it’s no wonder it’s their best seller. And you can’t beat the price of $10.00!

The jewelry is amazing. They feature a few local artist and one larger local retailer. A bunch of Asheville style jewelry, funky, unique and stylish. Literally you can find something for anyone on your Christmas list or the perfect stocking stuffers. These earrings I actually got for a Secret Santa gift because who could pass on that boho chic vibe.

Seriously y’all go check them out! You will be able to cross off a lot of ladies on your list in one stop and you can probably get some “to me, from me” gifts.

Now you can actually win the kimono that I have featured. All you have to do is find the photo below on Instagram and follow the instructions there! Y’all this is seriously something you want to try to win!

I am super simple when it comes to my make up. Even when the holiday events and parties roll around. I can’t do crazy dramatic eyes because I have extremely watery and sensitive eyes. So to avoid a mess and styes I keep it simple every day. I have been loving my Kat Von D palette for eyes and it goes perfect for the holidays as well since that rusty color is very popular. I kept my wing simple since I was going for a more dramatic lip. And by dramatic I mean sparkly. I love playing with make up just as much as the next person so thought I would go for a shimmery lip. I added Bad Blood by Urban Decay and then went over it with this new NYX Lip Of The Day Art Pen in a rose gold. I topped the entire look off with Bardot blush from ColourPop Cosmetics because it gives an equal part glowy goddess, equal part wind kissed cheeks.

So I have recently fallen in love with ColourPop this year. After hearing all the hype I decided I would give it a whirl and fell in love. **Most of the products are vegan (a few products are not), the entire line is cruelty free and all the product is made here in the USA. Plus let me not forget to mention the entire brand is affordable. So you think it might not be great. Nope way wrong. The quality is amazing for the price you pay. The matte lips I have purchased have stayed on longer than any liquid lipstick I own. You can find anyone some goodies from ColourPop for gifts; almost everyone I know is getting something from the brand for Christmas. (SHHH don’t tell)

We all have that one friend, family member or coworker who likes to stay home a majority of the time. Cough, cough, cough; me! These people may be a little hard to shop for, especially if you want your gift to be unique. I’ve rounded up my favorite items for the home that are drool worthy, Instagram worthy and under $75.00. These are gifts your homebody is sure to love. From unique cookbooks, to art (yay to shopping small), funky dishes in the most popular print this year and items to make the home cozy!

It’s officially that time of year y’all! The holidays. I’m currently listening to Christmas music as I’m writing this and I have already put up my Christmas tree. I’ve even got some presents bought. What else can I say? I’m actually in the spirit this year, for the first time in a while (probably because I’m not stressing about finals and registering for new classes). So this year for my tree and present theme I am going for black, red, metallics and craft paper. But y’all, it’s hard to find a fun red and black wrapping paper that isn’t buffalo plaid (which I did pick up). So I decided to get creative. And make my own abstract paper.

So to make your own paper you will need:

Packaging paper or craft paper

Paint of your choices

Paint brush

Cup of Water

Bowl, plate, palette paper for your paint

Also you are going to want to do this outside because it might just get messy.

You want to thin down your paint if you are doing an abstract splatter version like I did.

Then just do whatever you would like. I’m actually wrapping up a painting so I channeled my inner Jackson Pollock and did a splatter design. I just get watered down paint on the brush and tap the brush for splatter designs.

My end version looked like this:

You are going to want to let this dry for a while until the paint is completely dry to the touch. You can use a hairdryer to speed up the process if you wish. You can also let it sit over night before using it to wrap your gift with. I recommend cutting off the size you will need for your gift.

For the wrapping you will need:

Scissors

Tape

Festive ribbon

And here is the final result!

I think presentation is almost as important as the actual gift you are giving. This look would also be really cute done with stamps as well. This is time consuming but like I just stated it’s all about the presentation. Plus there is now some personality to the package! Happy wrapping!

I recently said last week, when I get dressed my #ootd isn’t magical or a break through concept. It’s really simple generally. I live in black leggings (or jeans). Typically 4 times a week you can find me throwing on leggings for absolutely anything from running errands, to cleaning, to exploring, to lounging or wearing them to work. But sometimes with the simplicity of my outfits I want to spice them up for coffee dates, shopping, date night or lunch. And it’s really simple to do when you have a simple palette.

Stripes are a go to. So this #ootd was a no brainer. Black leggings and a black and white striped shirt; a simple and chic (thanks to the tanks neck line) outfit. But by adding a fun high neck/tassel necklace, booties, funky glasses and tying a scarf to my bag the whole outfit is transformed. I feel more pulled together. I feel more chic. I feel like I look like I actually took a lot of time to plan this, but in reality it took about an extra two minutes.

I love having a wardrobe with as much versatility as mine. I love having a ton of black leggings that I can style numerous ways. I also love having stores in downtown that are affordable enough to have a few extras to take a simple, chic #ootd to an extra special chic outfit. And that’s exactly what I found at Lou Lou Boutiques in downtown.

I recently went to the grand opening of their newest location downtown and immediately fell in love. A whole store dedicated to accessories. Perfect for picking up a few pieces that you can incorporate in to any wardrobe to take it to the next level. The store was fully of trendy jewelry pieces, scarves out the whazoo and handbags. Lou Lou Boutiques is pretty affordable with most pieces pricing under $40.00 besides larger bags and some bigger brand name pieces. I left the store regretting not getting a few other pieces but I’ll save those for another day. I picked up this necklace, which I’ve already worn numerous times and it’s perfect due to the black and gold and makes me feel a little unique with the style. I also picked up this scarf and since we are still in the humid Summer days for now I’m wearing it tied around bags, but it will also be perfect in the Fall to add some pop of color to a simple outfit.

The staff was great and friendly, knowledgeable and made you feel like you were hanging out in your closest girlfriend’s closet. Brownie points for that because when I shop alone I hate the feeling of being in silence and not being able to ask for advice. These girls are a great and stylish staff. The boutique had something for everyone’s style and a price point suitable for everyone. I highly recommend checking it out! Here’s a bunch of pictures I snapped at the Grand Opening to tide you over until you visit!

I know I have been sharing a lot of black and white outfits lately, but I’ve been testing ideas for a few final presentations, portfolio pictures and a graduation celebration. So I have been pairing a lot of black and white together. I already love black anyways. But with each outfit that I’ve been planning I am constantly playing with textures and prints. So with this #ootd I played with the tulle texture of the skirt, pairing it with a casual cotton shirt, suede and leather flats and finally topping it off with a mixed textured necklace. This pop of burgandy leather cording and brass beads is the perfect boho addition to this dressed up outfit. By also choosing the necklace in different color it adds a fun element that not only shows my personality but breaks of the professionalism of the black and white outfit.

If you haven’t been over to Versona in Asheville market, I highly recommend it. I love it. They have so many trendy, yet quality pieces. It’s boutique style on a budget.